We can all agree that the changing of the leaves colors in Autumn is one of the most spectacular sights that you will see all year but this change also means that those beautiful leaves are inevitably about to fall and become a real mess. Raking and disposing of the fallen leaves is important to keep your yard healthy as decaying leaves are not only messy but they can ruin your lawn.

There are things that you can do to make this experience not only safer but also a little easier on your body. Make sure that you have the proper rake for the job. It needs to be the wide fan-like leaf rake and can be made of plastic, metal, or wood. Please stay clear of steel rakes as they will tear out your grass and are much heavier to hold.

If you are working near trees with low hanging branches it may be a good idea to wear protective eyewear. This would also be a good idea if using a leaf blower to avoid dust and debris getting into your eyes.

Wear proper shoes. Leaves, especially when wet, can be very slippery so make sure you have a shoe on with good traction to avoid those slip and falls.

Stay hydrated! Even in cold weather you can work up a sweat and deplete your body.

If you will be using a ladder as in gutter cleaning always make sure that your ladder is safe and is the right size for the job. Also when at all possible have an extra set of hands there to stabilize the ladders base. Keep a careful eye on your balance. While you may think that you can stretch just a little bit more, if your center of gravity changes just a little bit you can put yourself at risk for a fall.

Once you have all of the leaves cleaned up you have to figure out what to do with them. Adhere to your Township/Municipality guidelines for leaf disposal. If you are going to bag them then please keep the bags light enough for you to safely move them and use proper lifting techniques to avoid injury to your back and or joints. If you are able to burn the leaves, make sure that you have a designated area to do so free of flammable materials etc (such as a fire pit) and also make sure that it is not too dry of a day where an ember could escape and catch the lawn, trees, or shrubs on fire. Keep water on hand in case of a mishap and never leave a fire unattended.

Your friends at Westtown Insurance Group wish you a very Happy Fall…enjoy the beautiful colors of the season and stay safe!